Читать книгу Six Of The Best Of Desire 2016 - Maisey Yates, Andrea Laurence - Страница 14

Five

Gervais pushed through the crowds, eyes set on the chili dog vendor. As he weaved in and out, he saw recognition zip through their eyes.

The media had done a nice job planting his image in the minds of the fans even though he would have preferred a quieter role, leaving the fame to the players. But the family name also sold tickets and brought fans to their television screens, so he played along because he, too, loved the game and would do whatever was needed for the Hurricanes.

Many of the fans smiled at him, nudged a companion and pointed at Gervais. He felt a little as if he was in a dog-and-pony show. And while part of him wouldn’t mind pausing to speak to a few fans and act as an ambassador for the team, he really just wanted to get Erika that chili dog. Pronto.

So he flashed a smile as he continued, stopping in front of the food vendor, the smell of nacho cheese and cayenne peppers sizzling under his nose. Of all the things Erika could have asked for, he was strangely intrigued by this request. It was the most un-princess-like food in the whole sports arena. He loved that.

Gervais’s phone vibrated. He juggled the two chili dogs to one hand as he fished out his cell while taking the stadium steps two at a time. He glanced at the screen and saw his sister-in-law’s name. Frowning, he thumbed the on button.

“Yes, Fiona?”

“Gervais—” Fiona’s normally calm voice trembled “—Erika passed out. We can’t get her to wake up. I don’t know—”

“I’m on my way.” Panic lanced his gut.

His hand clenched around the hot dogs until a little chili oozed down his fingers as he raced up the steps faster, sprinted around a corner, then through a private entrance to the hall leading to the owners’ viewing box.

A circle of people stood around a black leather sofa, blocking his view. A cold knot settled in his stomach. He set the food on the buffet table and shouldered through the crowd.

“Erika? Erika,” he barked, forgetting all about formalities. He dropped to his knees beside the sofa where she lay unconscious. Too pale. Too still.

He took her hand in his, glancing back over his shoulder. “Has anyone called a doctor? Get the team doctor. Now.”

Fiona nodded. “I called him right after I called you.”

He brushed his hand over Erika’s forehead, her steady pulse throbbing along her neck a reassuring sign. But still, she wasn’t coming around. There were so many complications that could come with pregnancy. His family had learned that tragic reality too well from his sister-in-law’s multiple miscarriages.

Which made him wince all the more when he needed to lean in and privately tell Fiona, “Call the doctor back and tell him to hurry—because Erika’s pregnant.”

* * *

Erika pushed through layers of fog to find a group of faces staring down at her. Some closer than others.

A man with a stethoscope pressing against her neckline while he took her pulse must be a doctor.

And of course she should have known that Gervais would be near. He sat on the arm of the sofa at her feet, watching her intently, his body a barrier between her and the others in the room staring at her with undisguised interest.

Curiosity.

Whispering.

Oh, God. Somehow, they knew about the baby and she hadn’t even told her parents yet.

“Gervais, do you think we could have some privacy?”

He looked around, started, as if he hadn’t even realized the others were still there. “Oh, right, I’ll—”

Fiona stepped up. “I’ve got this. You focus on Erika.” She extended her arms, gesturing toward the door. “Let’s move to the other side of the box and give the princess some air...”

Her voice faded as she ushered the other guests farther away, leaving behind a bubble of privacy.

She elbowed up, then pressed a hand to her woozy head. “Doctor, what’s going on?”

The physician wearing a polo shirt with the team’s logo on the pocket said, “Gervais here tells me you’re pregnant. Would you like him to give us some privacy while we talk?”

She didn’t even hesitate with her answer. “He can stay. He has a right to know what is going on with the baby.”

The doctor nodded, his eyes steady and guarded. “How far along are you?”

“Two and a half months.”

“And you’ve been to a doctor?”

“I have, back in my homeland.”

“Well, your pulse appears normal, as do your other vital signs, but you stayed unconscious for a solid fifteen minutes. I would suggest you see a local physician.”

Gervais shot to his feet. “I’ll take her straightaway.”

Erika sat up, the world steadier now. “But you will miss the rest of the game.”

“Your health is more important. We’ll take the private elevator down and slip out the back.” He shifted his attention to the physician. “Doc, can you send up a wheelchair?”

She swung her feet to the ground. “I can walk. I am not an invalid. I simply passed out. It happens to pregnant women.”

“Pregnant women who don’t eat,” Gervais groused, sliding an arm around her waist for support. “You should take care of yourself.”

Even as she heard the grouchiness in his voice, she saw the concern in his eyes, the fear. She wanted to soothe the furrowed lines on his forehead but knew he wouldn’t welcome the gesture, especially not right now.

So she opted to lighten the mood instead. Heaven knew she could use some levity after the stress she had been under. And how strange to realize that in spite of being terrified, she felt safer now with Gervais present.

She looked up at him and forced a shaky smile. “Don’t forget my chili dog.”

* * *

Gervais paced the emergency room. The hum of the lights above provided a rhythm to his pacing. He tried to focus on what he could control.

Which was absolutely nothing at this point. Instead of being in the know, he was completely in the dark. He couldn’t start planning, something he liked to do.

Sitting still had never been his strong suit. Gervais wanted to be in the midst of the action, not hanging on the sidelines. That was how he’d been as a football player, how he dealt with his family. Always engaged. Always on.

But now? No one would tell him anything. He wasn’t a family member. Not technically, even though that was his unborn child.

God, he hated feeling helpless. Most of all he hated feeling cut off from his family. His child.

What the hell was taking the doctor so long?

Sure, the place was packed with weekend traffic. To his left was a boy with what appeared to be a broken arm and a cracked tooth. His sister, a petite blonde thing, wrinkled her nose in disgust as he shoved his arm in her face.

The man on his right elevated a very swollen ankle. He was in the ER alone, sitting in silence, hands rough with calluses.

Gervais could hear snippets of the conversation going on in the far corner of the room. A young mom cooed over her baby, holding tight to her husband’s hand. They were probably first-time parents. Nervous as hell. But they were tackling the problem together. As he wanted to with Erika, but the lack of information was killing him.

The whole ride over, Erika had been woozy and nauseated. He tried to tell himself that fainting wasn’t a big deal. But he wasn’t having much luck calming down his worries.

The possibilities of what could be wrong played over and over again in his head. He hated this feeling. Helplessness. It did not sit well with him.

A creak from the door called his attention back to the present moment. Snapping his focus back to the ER. And to the two men heading for him. His brothers Henri and Dempsey. Henri’s sweat-stained face was grave as he caught Gervais’s eye. Hell, he knew time had passed. But that much? And he hadn’t even watched the rest of the game on the waiting room television.

He charged over to his brothers.

Henri hauled him in hard and fast for a hug, slapping him on the back. Smelled of Gatorade. Heavily. The leftover jug must have been poured over his head, signifying victory. “What’s the news?”

“I’m still waiting to hear from the docs.” He guided both of his brothers over to the privacy of a corner by a fat fake topiary tree. “We won?”

Dempsey didn’t haul him in for a brotherly hug, but he thumped him on the back. They were brothers. Not as close as Henri and Gervais, but the bond was there. Solid. “Yes, by three points. Even though we sidelined most of our starters to test depth at various positions. Henri’s backup did a credible job marching the offense downfield for one more TD in the closing minutes. But that’s not what matters right now. We’re here for you. Is everything okay?”

Gervais shrugged. “We don’t know yet. Nobody’s talking to me. I’m not tied to her in any legal way.”

Dempsey’s voice lowered till it was something barely audible. He looked squarely into his brother’s eyes. “Do you plan to be there for your child?”

“Yes.” Gervais didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely.”

Henri shifted his weight from foot to foot. The three Reynaud men stared at each other, no one daring to utter so much as a syllable for a few moments.

Dempsey nodded. “Good. You know what? I’m going to get coffee for us. Who knows how long we will be here. ER visits are never short.”

“Great. Thanks,” Henri said as Dempsey walked back toward the doors. “Is she considering giving the baby up for adoption?”

“I didn’t bring that up.” Truth be told, he hadn’t even thought of that as a real option. It was his child. He wanted to provide for his child.

“Did she?” Henri crossed his arms, voice lowered so only they could hear each other.

“No. I’m not even sure how the royalty part plays into this.” God, what if his power, prestige, money, wasn’t worth jack and she took his child away altogether? “She discussed shared parenting.”

Henri shrugged. An attempt at nonchalance that fell flat. “I just want you to know that if things change, Fiona and I are willing to raise the baby as our own.”

Gervais looked over at his brother quickly, thinking of all the miscarriages his brother and sister-in-law had been through, the strain that had put on their marriage. This baby news had to be hitting his normally happy-go-lucky brother hard. “Thank you, my brother. That means a lot to me. But this is my child. Not some mistake. Not just a responsibility. My child.”

Henri nodded and hooked an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “I look forward to meeting my niece or nephew. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Gervais noticed how Henri’s face became blank. Distant. “Are you and Fiona okay?”

“Sure, we’re fine,” Henri replied a bit too quickly.

“We need your total commitment to the season. If you’re having any problems, you can come to me.” And he meant it. He wanted to be there for his brother. For his whole family. They meant everything to him.

Henri shook his head, looking his brother in the eyes. Offering a smile that refused to light his cheeks or touch his eyes. “No problem.”

Gervais shook his head, raising an eyebrow at him. “You never were a good liar.”

Wasn’t that the truth? When they were kids, Henri always cracked under pressure. His eyes would widen when he fibbed.

“No problems that will distract me from the game. Now stop being the owner of the team and let’s be brothers.”

Gervais was about to protest, but suddenly the ER waiting room was alive with movement. Dempsey strode back over to them, cups of coffee on a tray. A damn fine balancing act going on.

And following closely on his heels was a doctor. The same old, frazzle-haired doctor that had been treating Erika. His gut knotted.

The doctor cleared his throat. “Mr. Reynaud—Gervais Reynaud,” he clarified. The whole town knew the Reynauds, so no doubt the doctor recognized them. “Ms. Mitras is asking for you.”

All he could do was nod. Deep in his chest, his heart thudded. Afraid. He was afraid of what was wrong with Erika and his child.

The doctor opened a thick pinewood door to a small exam room and gestured for Gervais to enter.

In the center of the room, Erika was hooked up to a smattering of machines. Lights flashed from various pieces of equipment. Her blond hair was tied back into a topknot, exposing the angles of her face. Somehow making her seem impossibly beautiful despite the presence of the machines.

Within moments he was at her side. He wanted to show her he was here. He was committed to their child and would not abandon her. Stroking her hand, he knelt beside her. “You’re okay? The baby’s okay?”

Her face was pale, but she smiled, her eyes serene. “We are fine. Absolutely fine.”

“This child is important to me. You are important to me.” She was damn important. He had to make her see that.

“Because I am the baby’s mother.” The words spilled from her mouth matter-of-factly. As if there was no other reason he’d be here right now.

“We had a connection before that.”

A dramatic sigh loosed from her pink lips. “We had an affair.”

“I called you afterward.” She’d been imprinted on his brain. A woman he could not—would not—forget.

“You are a gentleman. I appreciate that. In fact, that was part of what drew me to do something so uncharacteristic. But it was only a weekend.”

“A weekend with lasting consequences.” A weekend that had turned him inside out. Given time, he could make her see that, too.

“More than we realized,” she said with a shaky laugh.

“What do you mean?” Head cocking to the side, he tried to discern the cause of the uneasy laughter.

She gestured to the ultrasound machine next to her. “I am pregnant with twins.”

Gervais tore his gaze from Erika, focusing on the screen. Sure enough, there were two little beans on the ultrasound. He and Erika were going to have twins.